ankh wrote:Do all these allow archiving programs and viewing them at a later time?(My inlaws set up one of their computers as a server to archive programs from some TV service, but they're too far away to lean on for help.)Do all these allow skipping ads?Do all these offer the weather channel for various cities around the US?MSNBC? Which other news/opinion programs

I think the answer is yes on most of these. The new streaming "Internet TV" services like SlingTV, YouTubeTV, Vue, HuluTV etc all provide a DVR feature, pause/fast-forward/rewind capabilities, and a variety of channels.

There are sometimes limitations on the commercial skipping in some shows, and I don't know about the specifics of The Weather Channel. Channels like CNN, MSNBC etc are all commonly included. You can check out the websites of each of the services to see comparative channel line-ups for the various tiers of service.

I'm currently using the SlingTV service, and I've opted for Sling Blue for $25/mo, plus the $5/mo DVR option. I don't watch ESPN, so the Blue product was a good fit. It does have NBC Sports Bay Area, Fox Sports 1/2, NBC Sports, etc.

But if you're a sports fan who wants ESPN, you'll want Orange+Blue, which is $40/mo.

Sounds a little complicated, but really it's ala carte TV - in so many ways. Because SlingTV and all of the other options are delivered over the internet to an app on your laptop, tablet or TV, you can switch between them at any time, adding and removing the options you find most compelling over time.

And added to Amazon Prime Video (included with Prime, their free shipping subscription), and Netflix, I've found this combination to be a great fit.

I should also add that there is a lot of great free content too. Services like Tubi, PlutoTV and Crackle. And with a library card in most locations, Kanopy is also available. For a guide to free streaming content, see: https://www.reviewgeek.com/5568/the-bes ... -services/

I'll concede that the video entertainment space is a bit confusing right now. The decision will vary: some households may prefer signing up for a two year contract for a traditional service, and Sonic is happy give you info on DISH service, as well as a bundle discount for it if you sign up via our team. But for other consumers, the streaming TV ecosystem is the right fit, and it's certainly where the most change is going on right now.

ankh wrote:The Cordcutters comparison doesn't include Sonic/DISH as a service choce.Can anyone fill that info in to complete the table?

And a simple question from a family member: what's needed to watch Rachel Maddow's complete [MSNBC] programs, not just the snippets podcast over the Internet? (With past archive and ad-skipping)

Any Internet TV service should be fine, all of them include MSNBC in one of their channel line-ups.

For example Sling includes MSNBC in the Sling Blue package, which is $25 per month. You can also add MSNBC to Sling Orange as part of a $5 "news extra" ala carte pack. Sling Orange is $20/mo, so either way you end up at $25, but if the lineup in Orange has more of what you want, that'd be the way to go.

ankh wrote:The Cordcutters comparison doesn't include Sonic/DISH as a service choce.

DISH technically isn't a cord cutter service, as it's more of a competitor (or alternative?) to cable.

Sling TV is DISH's cord cutter alternative, and Sonic can offer a deal.

Yup. And ankh said they didn’t have any TVs, so a traditional Pay TV service like DISH, with its set top boxes etc wouldn’t make sense. Was seeking a solution that’d work from laptops and tablets, which would be the more modern cord-cutting internet TV service.

Sling has a free one week trial, Sonic customers can use the link at http://Sling.tv/sonic to try it free for a week.

ankh said they didn’t have any TVs, so a traditional Pay TV service like DISH, with its set top boxes etc wouldn’t make sense. Was seeking a solution that’d work from laptops and tablets

Thank you for noticing.

This is the kind of "explain like I"m 75" attention to the question that I was looking for, really understanding how little I know about what's changed since, oh, 1966 when I gave up watching TV.

Yup, gotcha! Pay TV is just an app today, which you can pay for month by month - discontinue when you like, try another one, add "premium" special items, etc. The most popular service is Sling, and you can get a week free to try it at http://Sling.tv/sonic

I've rounded out our household setup with their DVR feature for $5/mo, and with a subscription to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Now.

To add yet another option, we're watching via an AirTV Player box, which also tunes TV over the air - not super useful up here in Sonoma, but for members in the cities around the Bay itself, this is also worth considering, because in many locations you'll get 60+ channels, totally free.